1953 Rufus Thomas SUN Records #181 10-Inch 78 RPM "Bear Cat" / "Walking in The Rain"

Offered is a 1953 Rufus Thomas SUN Records #181 10-Inch 78 RPM "Bear Cat" / "Walking in The Rain". In 1953, at Sam Phillips's suggestion, Thomas recorded "Bear Cat" for Sun Records, an "answer record" to Big Mama Thornton's R&B hit "Hound Dog". The record became the label's first national chart hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart. However, a copyright-infringement suit brought by Don Robey, the original publisher of "Hound Dog", forced Sam to pay Robey nearly $2,000 in royalties. The "answer record" tradition was well-entrenched, but Sam made no effort to change anything about the song except the lyrics, even going so far as to list the artist as "Rufus 'Hound Dog' Thomas" on the record's label! He wasn't too shocked about the lawsuit. Elvis Presley later recorded Thomas's song "Tiger Man". The record measures 10 inches in diameter and presents in VG condition.